Wrench



Sept. 10, R. E. GEARHART WRENCH Filed June 7, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet l !!|llllIlIllI I IIIIIIIIHII] Illll Sept. 10, 19 46. GEARHART 2,407,546 I WRENCH ill I INVENTOR, J? 2 05/2. Gear/75rd BY g/M Patented Sept. 10, 1946 WRENCH Roy E. Gearhart, Kansas City, Mo., assignor of three-tenths to Richard B. McCreary and three-tenths to Byram L. McCreary, both of Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 7, 1943, Serial No. 490,106

2 Claims.

. 1 t This invention relates to improvements in a wrench and particular reference to a wrench having jaws adapted to be forced toward each other during the operation.

Much difficulty has been experienced in obtaimng a wrench that will remove a hard set nut and particularly a hexagon nut or screw without marring the nut or without slipping the wrench on the nut to the discomfort of its operator. Many nuts and screws are plated and need to be carefully handled to prevent damaging.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a wrench that will so engage a nut or screw as to prevent relative movement of nut and wrench jaws and at the same time present smooth jaw surfaces against the nut thus preventing damage to the surface of the nut.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a wrench having smooth angled jaws each of which will simultaneously contact adjacent sides of the nut.

A further object of the invention is a wrench adapted to be set to a size slightly larger than the nut to be engaged and then to be moved to clampingly engage the nut as the wrench is manually moved by its handle to loosen or set said nut.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, ease and efficiency of operation, and adaptation for use on various sizes and shapes of nuts and screws.

Reference will now be had to the drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of a wrench embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the wrench.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line III-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1. V s

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary edge view showing the socket jaws of the wrench.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the wrench.

Fig. 7 is an edge view. of wrench shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line VIIIVI1I of Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of a further on line XIV-XIV Of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line XVXV of Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 is a cross sectional view XVI-XVI of Fig. 12.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentaryelevational view of the wrench showing a modified form ofthe angled jaws.

Throughout the several Views like reference characters refer to similar parts and the numeral i2 designates a shank or handle having fixed jaws I4 and I6 formed in a common head and provided with angled nut engaging faces I8 and 20 respectively. Slidably mounted on shank I 2' is yoke or block 22 having complementary jaws 2 4 and 26 having nut engaging surfaces 28 and 30 respectively to coact with surfaces I8 and 20 to engage a nut therebetween. It will be noted that the jaws I6 and 26 are constructed to serve as a socket wrench while'jaws I4 and 24 are disposed at right angles thereto in the body of the head and the yoke. V

Yoke 22 is recessed at 3.2 to present side walls 34 between which is fitted the inner end of a lever 36. This lever is pivoted to the side walls 34 by means of pivot 38, which is preferably tightly anchored in said side walls by any suitable means. A fulcrum :bar 40 having a series of rack teeth 42 is secured for limited longitudinal movement between walls 34 by means of pin 44 which is fixed in the bar with its ends protrudingat each side to rest in slide slots 46 which are disposed substantially parallel with the shank I2. It will be noted that ratchet teeth 42 are spaced longitudinally of the bar from the pin 44 so as to permit the hinging of the bar on the pin to free teeth 42 from the rack bar teeth 48 formed on the inner face of shank I2 (see Figures 3 and 8). Links 50 at each side of lever taken on line 36 are pivoted thereto by pivot 42 while their other ends are connected by pivot 54 to the outer I end of bar 40 so that when bar 40 is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the bar teeth 42 will engage the teeth in rack bar 48 to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the bar and shank.-

When so positioned the lever 36 may now be moved toward shank I2, and due to the angled relation of pivots 38, 52 and 54 and the fact that bar 40 is secured to shank I2, the yoke and associated jaws will be moved toward the respective fixed jaws to tighten the jaws against a nut N therebetween (see nut in dotted lines in Fig. 1).

A spring 56 secured by means 58 to lever 36 passes between links 58 and rests against bar 48 so that the bar will be urged against the shank I2 to maintain the anchoring teeth in proper meshed relation during the operation of the wrench. By properly adjusting the pivots 38, 52, and 54 any desired leverage may be obtained to clamp the nut, furthermore the greater the pressure exerted on lever 36 the greater the pressure of the jaws against the nut.

When the wrench is set for operating a given size nut and the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 5 it is desirable to maintain the setting of the wrench constant. This is accomplished by means of the detent 58 carried by lever 36 in recess 59 and urged by spring 68 "into a recess 62 formed in the inner surface of wall 34, see Fig. 4. This detent will normally hold the proper setting of the wrench, however, by exerting an extra force on the lever the detent will move from recess 62 to recess 64 when the parts will be in position to permit the movement of .yoke 22 on the shank for setting the jaws to fit any size nut within certain limits depending on the length of rack 48.

It will be noted that the nut engaging jaw surfaces are disposed at 120 to each other to engage the surfaces of a hexagon nut; however, this angle might be changed to fit a square nut or any other polygonal nut or any irregular nut.

Many advantages are obtained by using angled jaws, since more than two surfaces of the nut will be contacted thereby eliminating to a large degree the possibility of slipping the wrench on the nut and at the same tim preventing scuffing of the nut surface. This wrench is especially adapted for use on plumbing fixtures where it is essential that the plated surfaces of the nuts be maintained in good form.

The modified form shown in. Figs; and 11 provides for a shank I8 having a head I2, and yoke I4 slidably mounted thereon and adapted to be operated in like manner to .the parts shown in Figs. 1 to 5. The novel feature of this form is the provision of nut engaging jaws I8 and I8 having respectively two transversely intersecting angled grooves ,88 and 82 thus combining the jaws of Fig. 1 in one set. At 83 the nut engaging walls ofthe jaws are slightly recessed to-per- .mit adjustment of the wrench on the nut;

The modified form shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8 comprises a shank 84 having an ofiset head 92 provided with an angled jaw 94. By referring to Fig. '7 it will be noted that the shank is relatively thin and that the jaw 94 extends outwardly at each side thereof. Shank 84 is relatively short and has a rack bar 48 on its inner wall. A block or yoke 9.8 is slidably mountedon shank 84 and has a transversely disposed boss 86 on which is mounted an angled jaw88 complementing jaw 94. v

Mounted in recess 96 between walls 34 is :a

lever or handle 36 pivoted by means of pivot 38 to said walls. A bar 48 is secured-for limited longitudinal movement between walls 34 .by means of pin 44 which extend into 'slots'46 formed in each of the side walls. This bar is provided with ratchet teeth 42 which are adapted to mesh in rack bar 48 of the shank and is interconnected to lever 36 by means of links 5.8. The spring 58 secured to handle 36 tends to urge bar 48 away from the lever and against the shank 84.; To normally maintain the bar andshank in fixed operative relation a. U-shaped spring member 98 secured by screw 99 to bar 48 is adapted to engage in grooves I88 formed in the side wall of the shank (see Figs. 6 and 9).

Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 illustrate a modified form of the wrench, suitable for use as a one hand wrench, and. involving the principal features of the preferred form.

This wrench comprises a shank or handle I82 terminating in a head I84 having an angled jaw I86. Yoke I88 is slidably mounted on shank I82 and is recessed at II8 to receive the end portion of lever II2 for limited pivotal movement on pivot II4. It will be noted that when the lever is in the normalposition as shown the outer end portionIIfi of the lever rests against the yoke wall H8 to limit the movement of the lever away from handle I82. Interposed between handle I82 and. lever II2 for longitudinal movement against handle I82 is a bar I28 having a reduced end I22 which fits into a recess I24 formed in yoke I88. The outer extremity of bar I28 is notched at I26 to receive the wormIZB mounted for rotation on pin I38, and disposed in .mesh with the rackteeth I32 formed on the innerface of shank I82, so that as the worm is rotated the bar will be adjusted lengthwise of the shank. To maintain the bar I 28 in proper relation to the shank the bar is provided with overhanging detents I34 which slidably engage grooves I36 formed in opposite sides of the shank.

Links I38 are connected by pivot I48 to: lever H2 and to bar I28 by pivot I42. It will be .observed that pivots I I4, I48, and I 42 are not in a straight line so that when the lever is moved toward the shank the jaw I44 carried by yoke I88 will be moved toward jaw I86 to grip thenut positioned therebetween. A spring member I46 secured at itsone end by screw I48 to the lever rests against bar I 2.8 and tends to constantly urge the lever to its extended position.

p This wrench may be operatedv by one hand to adjust thejaws to fit any given nut, andtomove the nut to or from the set position.

provides for a planar jaw face I48 formed on the head of shank I82 and a planar jaw face I58 on the yoke I88. These planar jaw faces arein parallel relation and are disposed at an angle .to a planar perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shank I82. I g

This wrench is suitable for moving transverselyto position on the nut N without opening the jaws any more than is accomplished by moving .55 the lever H2 to its extended position.

From the foregoing it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and 60 claimed.

What I claim is:

l. A wrench comprising a shank having a fixed jaw; a yoke slidably mounted on said shanki'having a jaw complementing said fixed jaw and having side walls provided with slots disposed parallel with said shank; a rack bar formed in'the face of said shank; a fulcrum bar mounted for hinging and sliding movementin the slots of said yolk; a relatively short series of teeth formed-on one face of said fulcrum bar and spacedapart from the fulcrum point of said bar and .adapted to mesh with the teeth .of said rack bar; .a lever pivoted to said' oke; a link pivotally interconnecting said lever with thefree end of said ful- 7 5 crum bar whereby as said lever is moved toward The modified form ofjaw shown in Figurell 'l the slotted side walls of said yoke; and having teeth adapted to mesh with said rack bar teeth; a lever pivoted to said yoke; links pivotally interconnecting said lever with said fulcrum bar whereby as said lever is moved toward said shank the said fulcrum bar will be urged toward said shank; and a spring interposed between said lever and fulcrum bar to normally urge them apart.

ROY E. GEARHART. 

